New parents who continually lift, carry, and reach for their new child may injure muscles, tendons, and nerves because of the repetitive stress they put on various parts of their bodies — particularly their backs, necks, arms, and shoulders.
“Awkwardly lifting and carrying your child can put the body under unnecessary stress, leading to pain, tenderness, throbbing and tingling in the muscles and joints – all common symptoms of repetitive stress injuries,” Madden said.
You've got Mommy Wrist (sometimes called Mommy Thumb), which occurs when we repeatedly torque our wrists and hands in awkward positions to pick up, hold, and nurse our babies. Over time, those tiny motions add up to cause a lot of pain.
Tendonitis is one of the top 3 most common elbow injuries for parents as the repetitive motion of picking up your child can lead to irritation and inflammation of the tendon – whether that be lifting your baby into the crib, lifting your child from the floor, or carrying your child (or their car seat) to and from the ...
No matter how much you can curl, your arms are still going to throb after holding a 20-lb. sack of child for 20 minutes. That's because carrying a baby is a killer test of muscle endurance. “Holding a kid requires constant muscle contraction for your biceps, shoulders, and back.
Until recently humans have always carried their children, which is great, because lifting and carrying them makes you stronger and better at lifting and carrying them and plus they're constantly getting heavier so if you want to be able to carry them tomorrow, carrying them today is your training program.
What Science Says About Holding Your Baby. Ongoing research only continues to prove the importance of touch in human development: a 2020 study found infant-caregiver physical closeness activates oxytocin as well as certain nerve fiber pathways.
Avoid the Shoulder Impingement Position
A common hold is the cradle (in the picture below). It's important to avoid having your elbow higher than your hand as this can cause increased pressure on rotator cuff tendons.
This condition is known as de Quervain's tenosynovitis, mother's wrist or baby wrist. It is caused by a combination of: hormonal changes in pregnancy. increased pressure on wrist tendons when lifting and holding your baby.
The cause, however, often starts with tension across the chest and front of the shoulders that pulls the upper body forward and out of alignment, creating strain on the neck, shoulder and upper back muscles. The next time you're feeding baby, have a look at how you're holding your chest, shoulders, and head.
WHAT IS POSTPARTUM CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME? Unlike pregnancy Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, postpartum Carpal Tunnel Syndrome does not occur due to fluid retention, but rather due to the placing of the wrist/hand in prolonged/sustained positions such as when feeding or carrying your baby.
New parents who continually lift, carry, and reach for their new child may injure muscles, tendons, and nerves because of the repetitive stress they put on various parts of their bodies — particularly their backs, necks, arms, and shoulders.
But RSI's can also occur from lifting and holding your child, carrying a baby in a heavy car seat, bending often to tie little shoes, or by frequently picking toys up off the floor. The most common type of parenting RSI's are felt in the knees, elbows, wrists, and back.
Contrary to popular myth, it's impossible for parents to hold or respond to a baby too much, child development experts say. Infants need constant attention to give them the foundation to grow emotionally, physically and intellectually.
After a strain in the latissimus dorsi, you might feel torment in a few spots, including the lower, center, upper back, the rear of the shoulders, and the foundation of the scapula.
Hip pain can pop up anytime, especially when carrying a new baby's weight around. Being a new parent is especially trying on some regions of your body, including your back and hips. Before you end up with chronic hip pain, you must learn how to hold your baby correctly to minimize damage to your body.
Most new moms experience postpartum "baby blues" after childbirth, which commonly include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety and difficulty sleeping. Baby blues usually begin within the first 2 to 3 days after delivery and may last for up to two weeks.
Mommy's Wrist is a condition called de Quervain's tenosynovitis. This long name is used to describe a type of tendonitis in the wrist that is common in caregivers of young children (hence, the nickname “Mommy's Wrist”). It causes pain in the base of the thumb and wrist as the thumb is extended or used.
Mommy's thumb is a lay term for de Quervain's tenosynovitis in mothers of newborn to young children. It is most commonly the result of carrying the child, leading to overuse of the wrist. Less commonly, it can also result from fluid retention resulting from lactational changes.
If you pick them up by or under their arms, you risk injuring their arms or shoulders. Worse, their head will dangle and could flop around, potentially causing a brain injury. Instead, place one hand behind their head and neck and the other hand under their bottom. Gently scoop the baby up toward your chest.
Lifting or grabbing a young child by the arms can result in a common injury called nursemaid's elbow, or pulled elbow, that causes elbow pain.
The longer you hold your baby, the better. Any amount of time is good, but it is best to try for at least 1 to 2 hours each day. Avoid doing other things during kangaroo care, like fast rocking, talking on the phone, or watching TV. Kangaroo time is a quiet time to be enjoyed by you and your infant.
It is best to hold the baby on demand up to the age of 12 months old. Babies up to this age are still developing emotionally and may require frequent attention and care from their parents. However, you may also try identifying the possible need of the baby.
Oxytocin, often called the 'hormone of attachment' has been suggested as playing an important role in early-life nurturing and resulting social bonding.